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48 AFLOAT.com.au April 2017
Fishing
with David Lockwood
Like carp and cane toads White
Spot Disease is a major concern
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NewStockArrived
Biosecurity threats have always been a major concern in this
distant country, especially given our failed experiments with critters
like the cane toad and European carp. As the world shrinks, the
global population grows, and imports of all manner of things
swell to meet demand, the threats to our native flora and fauna
increase at an even greater rate.
Take the recent White Spot Disease (WSD) outbreak in SE
Queensland. The highly contagious disease caused by the white-
spot-syndrome virus (WSSV) first appeared in prawn farms on
the Logan River in November 2016, including the award-winning
Gold Coast brand of tiger prawn that I’ve often shelled out for.
White spot disease had been officially reported from
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Republic of
Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. But for one incursion,
Australia was immune from the crippling crustacean disease ...
up til late last year, sadly.
Logan River outbreak
Green prawn imports from the abovementioned countries were
deemed to be the carrier of the WSSV. Anglers were blamed for using
imported green prawns for bait and introducing the disease this
way. This is possible, authorities said there was evidence of fishing
in the region of the prawn farms, but there could be more to it.
The only other outbreak of the disease in Australia was in a
farm using old imported prawns for feed. In December 2000, WSSV
was detected in Darwin after imported frozen prawns were used
as feed for broodstock at a crustacean hatchery. That NT outbreak
has been contained, but the SE Qld situation is dire.
The virus first detected in the Logan River and its prawn farms
in November 2016 has now escaped into Moreton Bay. WSSV
travels like wild fire, cane toads and carp; and commercial fishers
have campaigned against green-prawn imports due to the risk
of spreading disease. State and Federal governments have now
thrown millions at fighting the disease and compensating farmers,
but how do you control a virus in the ocean?
In the wild, prawns, crabs, freshwater crayfish, lobsters,
copepods and certain planktons can all be infected by WSD, but
it is in the densely populated aquaculture environments where
the cost is greatest.
White spot disease in farmed penaeid prawns typically results
in production falling to about 40 per cent of normal for two years
and then recovering to about 70 per cent over the long term.
This fact has now led to a belated Federal Government ban on
imported green or uncooked prawns into Australia. The disease
does not affect human health, at least not directly, many prawn
farmers and fishers are stressing.
Moreton Bay falls
In a WSD update issued by authorities in mid-March 2017, there
were alarming new detections of WSSV collected from northern
Moreton Bay. This has sparked the need for additional measures
to contain the disease.
Movement Restrictions preventing the removal and
transportation of green or uncooked crustaceans from the Logan
and Albert rivers in South East Queensland now extend to the
whole of Moreton Bay.
Even The Australian newspaper seemed jittery with its headline
including a typographic error: “Disease hits wild pawns off Qld
Coast”. (Thankfully the rest of the chess pieces remain okay).
What you can do to help
This is no laughing matter and anglers and boaters should
do their bit to help.
Two things are essential when it comes to marine pests.
First and foremost, do not use prawns meant for human
consumption as bait. This includes prawns from supermarkets.
The second is to keep your gear, ground tackle and fish wells
and live-bait tanks clean. See “Make Clean Part of your Routine” at
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au /fishing/pests-diseases/marine-pests/
stop-the-spread/clean-routine
And remember this: restaurants
putting up signs warning of prawn
shortages and those eateries that
have removed prawns from the menu
are in effect stating that they only sell
imported second-rate green prawns
from Asia, which are now banned.
Australian prawn stocks are
otherwise healthy and in abundant
supply.
Bottom line: Buy Australian seafood
and catch your own. It’s hard to believe this island nation imports
75 per cent of the seafood we consume to meet our needs.
Read more about the White Spot Disease outbreak at http://
www.outbreak.gov.au/current-responses-to-outbreaks/white-
spot-disease.
These Queensland prawn trawlers at The Spit are an unbeatable
source of succulent wild-caught prawns.